Riyadh to Host Mecca Agreement Talks as Yemen Announces Offensive Against Houthis

A committee under the Mecca Agreement on mutual defence between Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan is due to hold talks in Riyadh on Monday, according to the Turkish Foreign Ministry.

Senior Turkish officials will attend the meeting in the Saudi capital. The ministry’s statement did not specify the agenda for the discussions.

The talks come after Rashad al-Alimi, chairman of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, announced on Sunday the start of a broad military operation against the Houthi movement, also known as Ansar Allah.

Al-Alimi said the operation aims to regain control of territory held by the group. No details were provided on the areas targeted or the progress of the offensive.

The announcements place the Riyadh defence talks alongside a new military push in Yemen, though no link between the committee meeting and the operation was stated.